Cooks With Books Blog

Spaghetti and Meatballs are top on my list of comfort foods. There is something so satisfying in eating a generous bowl you need no excuse to eat this dish for any occasion.

I think it's a lovely idea to prepare this for your sweetheart for Valentine's Day as you might be tempted to reenact the famous scene from Lady and the Tramp where the two dogs nuzzle meatballs to one another and finally slurp the same noodle to eventually kiss...it just doesn't get any better than that!

The recipe I chose to make recently was from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style. It is the perfect choice to make for your loved one(s) any time of year.

FOR THE MEATBALLS

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)

1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 extra-large egg, beaten

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

FOR THE SAUCE

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

FOR SERVING

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on the cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan cheese.

Note: when boiling the pasta, do not use oil in the water or the pasta sauce will not stick.